to the ambiance of
the place.
Denny needed to get out of this
hell hole.
And get out she would. She stood
up straight, squared her shoulders, and picked up her leather satchel that
contained everything she needed for the interview. She needed to stop having
her pity party and get out there. First step, get this job. Second step, save
enough money to get into a better place. Third step, put the rest of her life
back together.
One step at a time.
She made her way out the apartment
complex. The dim, narrow hallway smelled vaguely unpleasant, like vomit and
piss and just enough chemicals to accentuate the former odors, not cover them
up. She hated this place. She had to get out of here.
Walking quickly, she hurried down
the stairs and out into the relatively fresh air. It really wasn't terribly
fresh. It smelled of exhaust fumes and burnt cat food. There was some sort of
processing plant upwind of the complex, and apparently they processed burnt cat
food. That Denny's only guess at least.
“Ey, Miss Denny!” She turned and
looked at the man who was approaching her, and cracked a half-smile. Everyone
called the guy crazy Ray, and he was crazy, not to mention homeless. But he
was a nice enough sort, and he made sure to learn everyone's name. It was a
sneaky, underhanded way to worm himself into other peoples' hearts, but Denny
couldn't blame him.
“Hey Ray,” she said back, digging
into the pocket of her black wool skirt for a quarter. She always made sure to
carry loose change for Ray. It's not that she didn't want to give him more
than fifty cents at a time; it was just that she couldn't afford it.
“How's it going?” he asked as Denny
slipped the shiny silver coin into his palm. It was almost an unspoken rule
that one slipped Ray money as they talked to him. Everyone did it, so he came
to expect it.
“I'm on my way to an interview,”
Denny smiled, trying to look attractive. She may as well start practicing on
someone, and Ray was as good as anyone else out there.
“That's fantastic,” he said in his
familiar Southern drawl. “You go and let me know if you get that job.”
Denny nodded. “I will, I certainly
will.” He grasped her hand in his, and the skin felt warm, cracked, and
leathery, how she imagined a rhino's skin might felt. He was so old. “But I
have to get going now.”
“Of course, of course.” He nodded
and pocketed the quarter in one fluid motion, and Denny hoped that one day
she'd be able to give him more than that pittance.
For now, she had to get going.
She hurried along the busy sidewalk
of the bustling city. This was New York after all, and it was never slow in
New York. The day was a rather dismal one, dirty and gray with a late fall
rain threatening. Denny pulled the collar of her well-worn coat higher. At
least it wasn't threatening snow. It wasn't cold enough for that yet.
The wind blew, tousling her hair as
she made for the subway. This particular station was the closest one to her
but it smelled like urine. She didn't much care for it but going to another
station meant walking another several blocks, and that took time she just
didn't have today.
She wrinkled her nose as she
descended the dingy tiled steps. A blast of warm air blew up into her face,
filling her nose with the familiar, unwelcome scent. No help for it. She
descended the steps, her eyes adjusting to the dim light.
Subway stations always felt more
than a little cave-like to Denny. If she closed her eyes on a quiet night in
one, if all she could hear was water dripping, she could almost believe that she
was in one.
Right now, that little fantasy was
impossible. It was just after rush hour and there were still many, many people
scurrying to and fro. And she was about to become one of those people.
Approaching a kiosk, she slid her
subway card through, and made her way to a train. She slipped a hand into her
pocket and pulled out
the place.
Denny needed to get out of this
hell hole.
And get out she would. She stood
up straight, squared her shoulders, and picked up her leather satchel that
contained everything she needed for the interview. She needed to stop having
her pity party and get out there. First step, get this job. Second step, save
enough money to get into a better place. Third step, put the rest of her life
back together.
One step at a time.
She made her way out the apartment
complex. The dim, narrow hallway smelled vaguely unpleasant, like vomit and
piss and just enough chemicals to accentuate the former odors, not cover them
up. She hated this place. She had to get out of here.
Walking quickly, she hurried down
the stairs and out into the relatively fresh air. It really wasn't terribly
fresh. It smelled of exhaust fumes and burnt cat food. There was some sort of
processing plant upwind of the complex, and apparently they processed burnt cat
food. That Denny's only guess at least.
“Ey, Miss Denny!” She turned and
looked at the man who was approaching her, and cracked a half-smile. Everyone
called the guy crazy Ray, and he was crazy, not to mention homeless. But he
was a nice enough sort, and he made sure to learn everyone's name. It was a
sneaky, underhanded way to worm himself into other peoples' hearts, but Denny
couldn't blame him.
“Hey Ray,” she said back, digging
into the pocket of her black wool skirt for a quarter. She always made sure to
carry loose change for Ray. It's not that she didn't want to give him more
than fifty cents at a time; it was just that she couldn't afford it.
“How's it going?” he asked as Denny
slipped the shiny silver coin into his palm. It was almost an unspoken rule
that one slipped Ray money as they talked to him. Everyone did it, so he came
to expect it.
“I'm on my way to an interview,”
Denny smiled, trying to look attractive. She may as well start practicing on
someone, and Ray was as good as anyone else out there.
“That's fantastic,” he said in his
familiar Southern drawl. “You go and let me know if you get that job.”
Denny nodded. “I will, I certainly
will.” He grasped her hand in his, and the skin felt warm, cracked, and
leathery, how she imagined a rhino's skin might felt. He was so old. “But I
have to get going now.”
“Of course, of course.” He nodded
and pocketed the quarter in one fluid motion, and Denny hoped that one day
she'd be able to give him more than that pittance.
For now, she had to get going.
She hurried along the busy sidewalk
of the bustling city. This was New York after all, and it was never slow in
New York. The day was a rather dismal one, dirty and gray with a late fall
rain threatening. Denny pulled the collar of her well-worn coat higher. At
least it wasn't threatening snow. It wasn't cold enough for that yet.
The wind blew, tousling her hair as
she made for the subway. This particular station was the closest one to her
but it smelled like urine. She didn't much care for it but going to another
station meant walking another several blocks, and that took time she just
didn't have today.
She wrinkled her nose as she
descended the dingy tiled steps. A blast of warm air blew up into her face,
filling her nose with the familiar, unwelcome scent. No help for it. She
descended the steps, her eyes adjusting to the dim light.
Subway stations always felt more
than a little cave-like to Denny. If she closed her eyes on a quiet night in
one, if all she could hear was water dripping, she could almost believe that she
was in one.
Right now, that little fantasy was
impossible. It was just after rush hour and there were still many, many people
scurrying to and fro. And she was about to become one of those people.
Approaching a kiosk, she slid her
subway card through, and made her way to a train. She slipped a hand into her
pocket and pulled out
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